The Bonus Army

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Transcript of The Bonus Army

The Bonus Army1925: Congress passed legislation granting "bonus" to WWI vets, to be paid in 19451932: depression gets worseVets demand bonusApril, 1932, Representative Wright Patman (texas) creates bill demanding immediate paymenthouse repubs and some dems against itMaya group of vets led by former sergeant begin hitchhiking/rail-riding across USA, convincing people to support the billform the Bonus Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.)By end of June 1932, between 15-20K vets gathered in DCmost living in "Camp Marks" on Anacostia Riverothers scattered in abandonedfed buildings in DCThis annoys DC officials, embarrasses Hoover"Gross. Go be poor elsewhere, please."Some DC citizens/charities help w/ food, supplies, etcPelham Glassford, superintendent of Police workedtirelessly to keep peace/help BEFJune:House passes bill, Senate ruins itMarchers stay, intensify lobying, remain peacefulgov passes bill offering to pay for rides homea few thousand leaveJune 17: Congress goes home for summermarchers wait for them to return/[probably not] actJuly 28: clash between police & protesters leaves 2 vets deadthe entire group were labeled “Red agitators”Hoover calls in the troopsArmy Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur led operationbranded BEF as traitors“Pacifism and its bedfellow communism are all around us.”[Eventual WWII General] Patton led Cavalry-which spearheaded the eviction of the Bonus Army.also hated "Reds"to troops, on how to deal with BEF:“If you must fire do a good job-a few casualties become martyrs, a large number an object lesson. . . . When a mob starts to move keep it on the run. . . . Use a bayonet to encourage its retreat. If they are running, a few good wounds in the buttocks will encourage them. If they resist, they must be killed.”To get rid of BEF, military mobilized 4 troops of cavalry (horse soldiers) 4 companies of infantry,a machine gun squadron, and six tanks.